Available lifter for a disposable bottle crown cap



J. F. WILES Feb. 4, 1964 AVAILABLE LIFTER FOR A DISPOSABLE BOTTLE CROWN CAP Filed Sept. 18. 1961 United States Patent 3,120,140 AVAILABLE LIFTER FOR A DISPOSABLE BOTTLE CROWN CAP John F. Wiles, P.0. Box 98, Newport, Oreg. Filed Sept. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 138,922 2 Claims. (Cl. 813.1)

This invention relates generally to available means for lifting the crown cap from a bottle normally closed with such a cap after the bottle is charged with a dispensable fluid.

It is well known that many types of carbonated fluids or similarly handled beverages are marketed in pressurized containers closed by metal caps deformed their elastic limits to secure a suitable resilient fluid tight seal over the filling opening of the container under the cap. A well known type of such a cap including therein the required resilient seal is called a crown cap and is well known with that name in the beverage bottling industry.

Since the crown cap is affixed to the bottle at the bottling works and usually a substantial cap lifter is available at the bar or table where the beverage is dispensed, it is not always necessary to include a cap lifter in the carton. But the filled bottles are also conveniently dispensed in cartons of multiples of 6 bottles which are adapted to be carried to a picnic or similar informal gathering where no formal arrangement may be made for opening the bottles as required.

As a premium item to promote the sale of his bottled beverages it is not uncommon for a bottler to donate with a carton of his bottles a cap lifter which may have a novel appearance or convenience or other feature to appeal particularly to the frequent user of the device.

Since bottled beverages are highly competitive in price, premiums given free with the sale (thereof must be low in first cost and must not add materially to the handling and packing costs of the cartons in which the bottles are packed. The cap lifter should be secured to the canton so it will not be lost before use but the lifter should be detached from the carton before use so that the bottle can be held firmly upright against a support so it will not spill when the cap is lifted. The carton will usually be made of craft or corrugated paper and will not be strong enough for the cap lifter to be secured on the carton with the crown cap levered against the lifter on the carton to remove the cap.

It is particularly to be noted that the most popular carton or 6-pack for these shont neck bottles of carbonated beverages is a non reusable carton of a relatively heavy craft paper or a corrugated paper and may be destroyed as the carton is opened.

ln View of the above considerations to be taken into account in providing a desirable crown cap lifter it is a primary object of this invention to provide such a litter which will be low in first cost; which can be formed with the carton to be detached therefrom for use only by destroying the carton and which comprises a rigid head for said lifter combined with a handle for said head; said head being formed of a thin metal strip notched at one end to engage a crown cap for lifting and formed with handle engaging means extending laterally from the other end thereof; said handle being formed of a tear strip from said carton secured to said head by said means and said lifter being prepared for use by tea-ring from said carton said tear strip secured to said head and rolling said tear strip about the axis of said head.

'It is apparent that the single piece lifter 'head of this invention is an individual teaching of this invention since it is adaptable for permanent or temporary use in combination with almost any handle form. However the principal object of this invention, as noted above, is to provide a crown cap lifter which will always be present when a carton of crown capped bottles is opened and which can be successfully used as a hand operated crown cap lifter on bottles held upright for decapping without spilling.

How this and other objects are attained is made clear in the following disclosure referring to the attached drawing in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an opened and partially emptied 24-pack carton of commonly used short necked crown capped beverage bottles. The crown cap lifter of this invention is seen as part of the inner top fold of the car-ton.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in perspective of a newly invented 6-pack paper carton without including the detail of the bottle separating structures. The bottles in this pack are in 2 rows of three each and the crown cap lifter of this invention is indicated to include a tear strip at the side of the carton to which the lifter head is attached. However since a bottle separator strip is required between the two rows of three bottles (not shown) it is apparent that the separator strip could be used for the handle of the lifter.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the carton of FIG. 2 showing the exposed side of the head of the lifter of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the lifter as viewed from the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in end elevation from the plane 55 of FIG. 3 of the head of the lifter of this invention in position on the tear strip of the carton.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical section along the plane 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of the lifter of this invention in its position of lifting the crown cap from a bottle to which it is attached.

FIG. 8 is a View in transverse section of the lifter of this invention showing in section the two legs of the head of the lifter and in edge elevation the handle wrap of the tear strip of the carton.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing it will be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the crown cap litter 11 of this invention includes a head 12 and a handle 13 which is formed of a tear strip fonmed where convenient from the flap 14 of carton 15 of FIG. 1 or the side 16 of carton 17 of FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 it is shown that the head 12 of the lifter 11 is formed of a single transverse fold of relatively stilt metal which after folding to form legs 12a and 12b is approximately square. At its folded edge the head is notched symmetrically about its longitudinal center line L as seen in FIG. 3 and about its transverse fold line T as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. Also in the plane of the two centerlines L and T the inturned ends of claws 18 and 19 are spread and flattened, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7 in order that each of the similar claws 18 and 19 will have two claw points spaced to engage adjacent crimp loops 20 which are a characteristic feature of the crown cap 21 with which the bottle 22 is sealed.

Referring now to FIGURES 3, 5 and 6 it is seen that the head 12 of the lifter 1x1 of this invention has one of its legs 12a or 12b formed with a triangular hole 12c therethrough while its other leg is formed with a triangular tongue 12d to be extended through hole and clinched over the outer surface of said one leg whereby when said two legs of said head are set astraddle over said handle strip 13 said tongue 12d can puncture said strip 13 and be clinched through hole 120 to secure head 12 on handle strip 13. This engagement of head '12 to the carton of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 at the respective position selected for the tear strip '13 as shown can be easily and quickly done while the carton is still in the flat blank condition.

I When it is desired to prepare the packed beveragefor ing head, 12 with the successive panels 13b, 13c and 13d.

Should 'the handle material 13 require further reinforce ment' additional panels like 13e of tear strip 13 can be added as shown in FIG. 8.

Thereafter as the beverage is to be dispensed, the bottles 22 can be held' down on a solid surface, either within or without the carton, and the crimp loops 2.0 of crown cap 21 of :the bottle 22 can be engaged by the 2 point claws, 18 or 19 of head 12 of lifter 11, as shown in FIG. 7.

Having recited a principal object of the presently disclosed invention, disclosed a preferred way in which the invention may be practiced and explained the operation thereof, it is understood that the teaching comprises in one instance the novel and useful head for the disclosed lifter and in another instance a novel and usefulhandle functionally equivalentto that shown and combined with the head to provide a crown cap lifter equivalent to the one here disclosed.

I claim:

1. An available lifter for a disposable crown cap of a bottle of carbonated beverage closed by said cap, said lifter includinga single piece head therefor, a handle, and means for securing said head to said handle, said handle comprising a plurality of rectangular folded cardboard panels, said plurality of panels in unfolded condition, constituting a tear strip comprising part of a side wall of a cardboard bottle carton, said head including a metal strap folded to approximately half its length to form an approximately square two layer head, said two layer head being notched symmetrically at its said folded edge about its centerline perpendicular to said edge to: form along said edge a pair of similar opposed claws, said head at said edge with said claws forming a lifting lever for said cap, whereby one of said claws is adapted to engage said cap in tension under its orirnped outer edge and the other of said claws is adapted to engage said cap in compression over the fiat top thereof to lift said cap from over the; opening to said bottle, and said means for securing said head to said handle includes metal pins pressed inwardly from the opposite legs of said head into one of said panels. 2. The available lifter of claim 1 in which said means for securing said head to said handle includes said metal pins pressed inwardly from the opposite legs of said head while said head is astraddle at least one of said panels and others of said panels of said tear strip are wound around said head to form said lifter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,806,393 Vicirers Sept. 17, 1957 2,857,077 Von Gaa Oct. 21,1953. 2,990,972 Benedetti July 4, 1961 

1. AN AVAILABLE LIFTER FOR A DISPOSABLE CROWN CAP OF A BOTTLE OF CARBONATED BEVERAGE CLOSED BY SAID CAP, SAID LIFTER INCLUDING A SINGLE PIECE HEAD THEREOF, A HANDLE, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HEAD TO SAID HANDLE, SAID HANDLE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR FOLDED CARDBOARD PANELS, SAID PLURALITY OF PANELS IN UNFOLDED CONDITION, CONSTITUTING A TEAR STRIP COMPRISING PART OF A SIDE WALL OF A CARBOARD BOTTLE CARTON, SAID HEAD INCLUDING A METAL STRAP FOLDED TO APPROXIMATELY HALF ITS LENGTH TO FORM AN APPROXIMATELY SQUARE TWO LAYER HEAD, SAID TWO LAYER HEAD BEING NOTCHED SYMMETRICALLY AT ITS SAID FOLDED EDGE ABOUT ITS CENTERLINE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID EDGE TO FORM ALONG SAID EDGE A PAIR OF SIMILAR OPPOSED CLAWS, SAID HEAD AT SAID EDGE WITH SAID CLAWS FORMING A LIFTING LEVER FOR SAID CAP, WHEREBY ONE OF SAID CLAWS IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID CAP IN TENSION UNDER ITS CRIMPED OUTER EDGE AND THE OTHER OF SAID CLAWS IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID CAP IN COMPRESSION OVER THE FLAT TOP THEREOF TO LIFT SAID CAP FROM OVER THE OPENING TO SAID BOTTLE, AND SAID MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HEAD TO SAID HANDLE INCLUDES METAL PINS PRESSED INWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE LEGS OF SAID HEAD INTO ONE OF SAID PANELS. 